Dhaka, Aug. 20: Former BNP Secretary General and presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir delivered an emotional farewell speech at the BNP parliamentary party meeting ahead of the presidential election, breaking down in tears four or five times within a few minutes.
During his speech, Fakhrul remembered the late BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and the party’s founder and former president Ziaur Rahman. He also expressed gratitude to BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
He sought prayers from party leaders and activists and urged BNP lawmakers to vote for him in the presidential election.
The emotional scene unfolded at the BNP parliamentary party meeting held at the government party meeting room of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Wednesday (August 19). The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, lasted around one and a half hours from 2pm.
The prime minister also urged lawmakers to vote for Fakhrul. He reportedly advised party members to maintain unity ahead of the upcoming local government elections and cautioned lawmakers against allowing their distance from grassroots party workers to widen, according to several people present at the meeting.
Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni delivered the welcome address at the meeting. He briefed lawmakers on the voting process for the presidential election and sought their votes for Mirza Fakhrul Islam.
The chief whip informed the lawmakers that the presidential election would be held on Thursday (August 20) and that Fakhrul himself would cast his vote. If elected president and assuming office, his Thakurgaon-3 parliamentary seat would become vacant.
After the chief whip, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the outgoing secretary general of the BNP, stood to speak. Several lawmakers present at the meeting said he became emotional and broke down in tears at the very beginning of his speech.
Fakhrul recalled the late BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and expressed his gratitude to her. He also paid tribute to BNP founder and former president Ziaur Rahman and expressed gratitude to party chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Recalling his long tenure in the BNP as senior joint secretary general, acting secretary general and secretary general, Fakhrul said he would like to apologize if he had made any mistakes during his time in office or unintentionally hurt anyone’s feelings.
He said he would protect the honour and responsibilities entrusted to him by the party, even at the cost of his life. He also vowed not to compromise on the country’s independence and sovereignty.
Saying that he would miss his colleagues after moving to Bangabhaban, Fakhrul sought everyone’s prayers and urged the party’s lawmakers to vote for him in the presidential election.
Several lawmakers who attended the meeting said Fakhrul cried four or five times during his brief speech, creating an emotional atmosphere in the room. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman also became emotional.
If elected president on Thursday, Fakhrul will no longer attend BNP parliamentary party meetings. His tearful speech was effectively his farewell address to the parliamentary party.
Later, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman addressed the meeting. He said, “Today is a historic day. We have reached this point after paying a heavy price.” He expressed gratitude to Allah for the achievement.
Tarique Rahman said that if the country’s democratic journey continues, accountability will be established throughout the state. He stressed that accountability is essential to running the state and said everyone must keep this in mind.
Highlighting Fakhrul’s long political career, the prime minister said Fakhrul had been associated with the party for many years. He said Fakhrul had courageously led the party through difficult times and never abandoned it, despite being imprisoned. Tarique Rahman said he himself had unfortunately been forced to remain abroad during that period.
The prime minister urged BNP lawmakers to vote for Fakhrul to elect him president. Describing Thursday’s presidential election as important, he called on everyone to remain united and disciplined, stressing that there was no alternative to organizational unity.
Tarique Rahman also cautioned lawmakers about the upcoming local government elections. He said a distance was developing between some lawmakers and the party at the local level and urged them to address the issue before it grew further.
He said the upcoming local government elections would be held without party symbols, making them challenging. He noted that the party had suffered in the previous parliamentary election when some candidates contested against official party nominees. He urged party members to begin working now to ensure that no one contests against party-backed candidates in the upcoming local elections.
Emphasizing the importance of selecting acceptable candidates at the local level, Tarique Rahman said qualified and widely accepted individuals should be nominated and efforts should be made to ensure their victory.
The BNP parliamentary party meeting therefore focused heavily on party unity and discipline, combining Fakhrul’s emotional farewell ahead of the presidential election with the prime minister’s firm organizational message regarding the upcoming local government elections.
BNP Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, Selima Rahman and A.Z.M. Zahid Hossain, among other party lawmakers, attended the meeting.
